Training buddies in Derby

Dunk_911

I have been biking for about 5 years, road biking for about 1.5, I take it quite seriously, I did about 2000 miles last year on my road bike in 4 different countries and about 700 miles on my MTB in 3 countries. So yeah, I am nuts about bikes!

Long story short is all of my biking mates have gone to uni and I am stuck here. I want to get back up to speed after relaxing over the winter so that I can go biking abroad in the summer.

I do work full time in Derby so any riding will have to be at the weekend unless you have lights until the nights draw back. I am not too bothered if any training buddies are better or worse, guys or gals but you should know I do like hills and I can be quite competitive where they are concerned...

If you want to do some training (or MTBing), please send me a message or write below.

By the way I'm near Derby (Ashbourne)

Cheers.

Dunk

priory

http://derbyctc.org.uk/

http://ctcburton.cjb.net/

http://www.buggc.freeserve.co.uk/

Ctc will have a lot of information on local group rides. They might on the whole be older than you and less racey, but 2000 miles a year is low for most of them .3000 to 11000 is more like it. So you can do some long rides and learn good routes.

They run audax rides , especially alfreton, which vary from fairly easy 60miles to ludicrously long and tough 600km. see the web sites.

http://matlock.mybikeclub.co.uk/
http://matlock.mybikeclub.co.uk/pages/links
is a very active club more race oriented.

I do not know the road clubs at ashbourne, but someone at these clubs I have indicated will if you email or phone them. You just have to keep sending out requests until you get the right answers if you do not immediately find what what you want.

Tom Butcher

Try Derbymercury.org.uk and post on the forum - you don't have to be a club member though you may have to register to post - there are loads of rides getting organised on there or you can find out about the regular weekly rides.

It's mainly a road club but quite a few members are into MTB too - big cross contingent as well.

Dunk_911

thank you both. I think it looks like a club is probably the best thing so Ill look into that option more.

600k? thats crazy!

Tom Butcher

A little run down of training / social rides I know about.

Monday -Relatively beginner friendly MTB ride near Ingleby - not sure of time but it's in the evening from the John Thompson pub.
Tuesday - Chain gang (2 groups different speeds) from Little Eaton Little Chef 6.45 - 1 hour
Wednesday - Mixed group ride from Willington 9.30am
THursday - Chain gang - as Tuesday but less likely to be a steady group - 1hour
Saturday - 9am normally a steady group from Palm Court island - arrange via Merc forum.
9am faster group Breaston M1 bridge picking up at Broadway in Derby 9.30 - some stop at Ambergate and turn back others head on into Peak.
Sunday 9am Derby Merc club run Palm Court island.

Other stuff is arranged as and when between individuals but those ones are all set time and place.
You'd be OK turning up to any -some are Derby Merc rides others not but they all attract a mix of club and individual rider. All fairly informal just tag on - some of the faster ones if you get dropped the expectation is you make your own way home.

priory

''All fairly informal just tag on - some of the faster ones if you get dropped the expectation is you make your own way home.''

Which can be a bit of a cheeser for a beginner, but do not give up just because some hard riders will not wait for you. Some really obsessed people ride all the time and very fast. They will be old and knackered soon enough and then you can do it to them.

It is more confidence building and enjoyable and you learn the ropes easier if you start with the sort of groups that ride at the pace of the slowest, then move on if they are too slow for you.

Tom Butcher

It's all about picking the right group. Some groups wont wait - doesn't mean they are going too fast for them or not being friendly - just some groups have a different dynamic.

For a beginner if you pick the 9am Saturday ride or the Sunday club run people will wait for you - if that's a concern go out with them - you can always contact people who do the ride in advance and ask about pace/distance etc if worried. The Tuesday steady group is a suitable pace for a relatively fit beginner but because it isn't organised by any person/club in particular there is no one person or group who takes it upon themselves to wait for everyone else. Not to say people wont wait for you just nobody has that specific responsibility. It's only an hours ride though and you are never more than 10 miles from the start. There is a slow paced sunday club run too but from what the OP says that would be too slow for them.

Dunk_911

Right. i think I might give mercury a try, Ill have a look on the website when I get home from work.

Thanks.